I hope this is in the appropriate forum. If not, moderaters, please feel free to move it.

I have mileage accounts with multiple airlines and with Amtrak. I currently use an Amtrak card as my primary credit card, which I have had for about a year (switched from using AMEX Blue, which I still have). I am looking to empty my MR Options account, which only has 30,000 points in it.

United About 15,000
USAirways About 70,000
Continental About 2000
Delta About 18,500
American About 29,500
Southwest 4 credits
Amtrak About 33,000
MR Options 30,000

I am wondering if it is best to transfer all the MR Options points to Delta, given the bonus, or whether to try to put them in USAirways since I have the most points there. I know it's not all that many points in comparison to others on this board. I've been so busy with residency and fellowship, but now hope to have more time to travel.

I have been reading about various cards, and think it is best to obtain the Starwood card. What Visa or MC would you choose next? Amtrak seems to not be the best choice anymore since you cannot transfer to United and the foreign exchange fee has increased.

I convinced my mother to sign up for AGR and my parents use the USAirways signature product. But maybe they need to make a switch as well. I know that awards on USAirways can be more expensive than on other airlines, but USAirways flies the most flights out of Buffalo.

My parents have over 200,000 miles in USAirways. I was hoping to use miles for my honeymoon next year, probably to upgrade my flight (destination unknown).

Is the AA MC/Visa worth getting, esp. since miles earned there count towards lifetime status? I expect to use my cards frequently over the next 30 years or so.

Thanks for any help in advance.

fuzz

My primary CC is the SPG Amex.

Though there's much dissatisfaction with the card of late, my Mastercard solution is a Diners Club, since it allows transfers to most airlines/hotel programs. Additional upside: primary CDW insurance on car rentals. Downsides: fee to transfer points to airlines. Downsides relative to old card: no longer have 60 days to pay, increased foreign currency fee.

I still have an Amex Plat b/c they let me put much larger charges on it -- I can put a 6-figure conference on the card in a single month, which they won't let me do with the Starwood product. But that's a limited case. Other benefits to the card though are DL/CO/NW lounge access, Starwood Gold, the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program, Avis Preferred Select... Downsides: limited transfer partners, fee for airline transfers, high annual fee.

While it's nice that all miles earned on AA count towards lifetime elite status, the continuance of this feature is something there's constant chatter about. I wouldn't make a long-term decision based on it! Since it isn't a 'published' benefit it can certainly change at any time (even published benefits, in some programs, change without notice... you've already seen that w/ Amtrak & United transfers, and previously with the cap they introduced on transfers out within a calendar year).

Thanks, Gary. I appreciate your input. it will definitely give me some food for thought. I will decide where to empty my MR Options account and switch to Starwood. Then the next decision is which MC to get, but DC sounds like it might be a nice one to carry.

I had not thought about Continental miles too much, since I have heard that awards can be hard to come by. Might not be a bad place to put them, since I can still transfer Amtrak points there, and now they are flying out to India...

Thanks, again for your help.